As questions swirled over his public disagreement with U.S. President Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV used a mid-flight briefing to shut down any notion of a political showdown, insisting his focus remains firmly on preaching peace.

Aboard a flight cutting across Africa, Pope Leo XIV moved to cool the noise around his public clash with U.S. President Donald Trump, making clear he has no intention of turning the moment into a political duel.

Speaking to reporters en route from Cameroon to Angola during his 11-day visit, the pontiff said the controversy had taken on a life of its own, drifting far from what he actually intended. He emphasized that his message has been misread in parts and amplified by layers of interpretation rather than substance.

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“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself,” he said, according to AP’s report.

“Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.”

The tension began on April 12 when Trump, posting on Truth Social, took aim at Leo’s repeated appeals for peace as fighting escalated following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 and Iran’s response. Trump accused the pope of being soft on crime, aligning with the political left and even suggested his papacy was linked to Trump’s own influence.

Leo, however, has kept his focus on a broader moral argument, consistently urging dialogue and rejecting any attempt to justify violence through religion. He had previously described Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization as “truly unacceptable.”

Vatican officials have also underlined that Leo’s appeals are not aimed at a single conflict or leader but address the wider reality of war across the globe. They pointed to other examples, including rhetoric from the Russian Orthodox Church framing the invasion of Ukraine as a “holy war.”

The pope returned to that point on Saturday, referencing remarks he delivered earlier in Bamenda, Cameroon, a city at the center of a long-running separatist crisis. He noted that his speech condemning a “handful of tyrants” driving war and exploitation had been written weeks before Trump’s criticism surfaced.

“And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all,” he said.

Rather than engage in a back-and-forth, Leo said he would stay rooted in his pastoral role and continue advancing the Gospel’s message.

READ ALSO: Pope Leo XIV stresses peace as Trump’s attacks intensify

“I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa,” he said.

He added that upcoming liturgical reflections would center on Christian identity and responsibility, stressing unity, justice and peace.

Leo later arrived in Angola, the third leg of his four-country tour. The theme of reconciliation carries particular weight there, given the country’s history of a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 but continues to shape national life.

During his visit, he is expected to meet President Joao Lourenco and address government officials, with a message aimed at offering encouragement to a population still living with the legacy of conflict.

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